ballyhoo

[ noun bal-ee-hoo; verb bal-ee-hoo, bal-ee-hoo ]

noun

, plural bal·ly·hoos.

1. a clamorous and vigorous attempt to win customers or advance any cause; blatant advertising or publicity.

   Synonyms: hype, fanfare, hoopla, buildup

2. clamor or outcry.
3. a halfbeak, Hemiramphus brasiliensis, inhabiting both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

verb (used with or without object)

, bal·ly·hooed, bal·ly·hoo·ing.

1. to advertise or push by ballyhoo.

ballyhoo

/ ˌbælɪˈhuː /

noun

1. a noisy, confused, or nonsensical situation or uproar
2. sensational or blatant advertising or publicity

verb

1. tr to advertise or publicize by sensational or blatant methods

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballyhoo¹

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of ballyhoo¹

C19: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

For all the ballyhoo about having the most skiable acreage in the U.S.,

From Seattle Times

Curiously, there seemed to be no VIP or movie star ballyhoo; instead, as The Times wrote, the inaugural passengers on the north-to-south trip were 150 L.A.-area schoolkids.

From Los Angeles Times

Though the Clapper did not become a pop-culture phenomenon like the Chia Pet — or sell nearly as well — it did inspire the slogan “Clap on, clap off,” which joined the Chia Pet jingle as an unforgettable bit of late-20th-century televised ballyhoo.

From New York Times

Nearly three million people watched the finale of “Succession”; it’s more than the ballyhoo that has drawn in their attention, and drawn it away from these three movies and other similarly accomplished recent releases—it’s also aesthetic differences in the art, which are inseparable from the different business models of their creation.

From The New Yorker

While Texas and Florida officials ballyhoo their border tightening efforts, no major immigration legislation has emerged this year in Arizona, where some of the nation’s toughest laws targeting immigrants have been devised.

From Seattle Times